Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry sidelined by ankle injury again

OAKLAND -- Warriors point guard Stephen Curry is out indefinitely after spraining his right ankle.

Yes, that ankle.

"It was really a freak injury," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said before Wednesday night's game against Miami. "We don't do much in shootaround -- (he was) just chasing after a loose rebound. It's unfortunate. We will shut him down. He'll get treatment, and we'll see where he goes."

Curry sat out the defending NBA champions' lone trip to Oracle Arena this season, his first missed game of the season. He injured the ankle at the shootaround Wednesday morning when he landed on the foot of rookie Festus Ezeli.

"I haven't had a sprain in two-and-a-half months, so my ligaments are as probably the healthiest they've been," Curry said. "Just have to wait and see how they recover. "

"I haven't been in this situation for a while. I don't know if it will be a fast or slow kind of deal just because after two surgeries and all that process, it finally had the time to cool down. So we'll see tomorrow."

X-rays came back negative. His return will be based on how his right ankle progresses, a Warriors official said.

"I'm not a doctor," Jackson said, "but I can't imagine it turning into something more. I'm not going to get into timetables and all of that. We're not concerned."

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Jarrett Jack started in Curry's place Wednesday. The Warriors acquired Jack from New Orleans in the offseason for this very reason.

For most of the previous two seasons, Curry's right ankle has been a cloud hanging over his NBA career and the Warriors' chances. He sprained the same ankle multiple times during the 2010-11 season, prompting surgery in May 2011 to repair torn ligaments. But that didn't prevent multiple sprains during the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season.

He had another surgery in April 2012 on his right ankle. And after months of rehab, he returned to action in time for training camp. He showed enough progress for the Warriors to sign him to a four-year, $44 million contract extension.

Curry's ankle had been a nonissue the first 36 games of the season, a big reason Golden State entered Wednesday 10 games above .500. He's one of only three players in the NBA averaging at least 20 points, six assists and four rebounds per game. The others are Miami's LeBron James and Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook.

Jackson is sure to wait until Curry's ankle is fully healed before putting him back in the action.

The Warriors get Thursday off before playing at San Antonio (Friday) and New Orleans (Saturday). Golden State will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday and Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

Without Curry, Golden State's offense is noticeably less potent. In the Warriors' game at Miami earlier this season, the Heat focused on stopping Curry, which opened up the floor for everyone else and keyed Golden State's road upset.

Even though Jack is starting, Jackson will also have to adjust how he finishes games. He usually plays Jack at the point with Curry and guard Klay Thompson on the wings (and David Lee and Carl Landry as the big men). But Curry's absence will probably mean crunchtime minutes for rookie forward Harrison Barnes, who usually gets squeezed out in Jackson's three-guard lineup to end the game.

"It will be a feel or a flow," Jackson said. "I've very confident in my guys. ... I don't know who will close the ballgame. The game will dictate that."